LONDON -- The dean of Southwark Cathedral, one of the major Anglican churches in London, has banned a popular hymn that he says is too nationalistic.The hymn is "Jerusalem," a poem by William Blake that asks if Jesus Christ was in ancient times seen on "England's pleasant pastures."The last verse goes: "I shall not sleep from mental fight, nor shall my sword rest in my hand, until we have built Jerusalem in England's green and ... [full story]

LONDON -- Trial began Thursday for three men charged with helping the London Transport suicide bombers, with a prosecutor saying the defendants scouted locations.Neil Flewitt, the prosecuting attorney, said the defendants traveled to London with Hasib Hussain, one of the bombers, in December 2004, The Daily Telegraph reported. They visited a number of locations that resembled the eventual targets, along with other popular tourist destinations, Flewitt told the court."It is the prosecution case that the ... [full story]

BEIJING -- Chinese President Hu Jintao has expressed confidence about his nation's ability to hold a successful Summer Olympics Games in Beijing this summer.Speaking in the southern island province of Sanya, where China was playing host to the Boao Forum for Asia, Hu said with support from people around the world, his country is confident of phasing out all interference to the games, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.Hu spoke during his meeting with Sri ... [full story]

BEIJING -- U.S. and Chinese defense ministers held talks for the first time Thursday on their new telephone hotline.The telephone chat between Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie and U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates marked an important step in the two countries' strategic and long-term interests, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported, quoting the Chinese defense ministry.The Pentagon was quoted as saying the communication link was "a reflection that the overall U.S.-China defense relationship continues to ... [full story]

BALTIMORE -- An attack on a teacher in a Baltimore high school ended up on MySpace, triggering a debate about how to deal with student violence.Jolita Berry, an art teacher at Reginald Lewis High School, said she was told by her principal that she helped escalate the situation by using "trigger" words, The Baltimore Sun reported. Berry said that when a girl approached her instead of sitting down, and threatened to "bang" her, she told ... [full story]

BARRINGTON, Ill. -- An Illinois woman said she was forced to molest two children hundreds of times by her abusive ex-brother-in-law.Barrington-area resident, Yolanda Dipert, 46, said her ex-lover and brother-in-law, Lee Dipert, 52, made her have sex with a 16-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, the Arlington Heights Daily Herald reported Thursday."I did not know how to call the police. I was afraid that if I went to the police, me and the children would ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- A suspension of troop withdrawals, a reduction in tours of duty and a choice for Iran topped U.S. President George Bush's remarks Thursday.Bush said he endorses Army Gen. David Petraeus' assessment that there should be a period of assessment and evaluation after the current troop drawdown ends in July."He'll have all the time he needs" to evaluate and assess the U.S. troop presence in Iraq, Bush said.Bush said he directed that the troop ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- A four-month, $40 million media campaign is being readied by wealthy Democrats to attack Republican John McCain, the leader of the project says.At its helm will be David Brock, a former right-wing investigative reporter known for his anti-Bill Clinton work in the 1990s. The media, he said, has "fallen down on the job" when it comes to McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee. Brock's most recent book is called "Free Ride: John McCain ... [full story]

WASHINGTON -- The United States is a scofflaw in paying dues -- hundreds of millions of dollars in dues -- to international organizations, government data show.The debt, now $293 million, is projected to reach $478 million by the end of the year, based on data from the State Department and the Senate appropriations subcommittee overseeing it, USA Today said Thursday.One delinquent account is the U.N. peacekeeping office, which is owed nearly $160 million on obligations ... [full story]

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., says she's the only presidential candidate offering a real plan to end the war in Iraq.Stumping in Pennsylvania, Clinton took aim at both presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain of Arizona and Democratic competitor, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, The Washington Post reported Thursday. "One candidate will continue the war, one candidate only says he'll end the war, and one candidate is ready, willing and able to end ... [full story]